Tomato Preserves; Canning Tomatoes Saves Cash

Get Started Canning Tomato Sauce!

Have fun making tomato preserves this summer.

Tomato Preserves

Tomato preserves were unheard of in 1519, when Cortes invaded the Aztecs, and the Spanish explorers were the first non-Americans to see tomatoes growing. According to accounts, the Aztecs used tomatoes to cook in sauces much like we do today with tomato preserves. The difference was that they included capsicum peppers in their sauce!

The Aztec sauces were described as containing red, green, hot, and yellow chilies. During the 1600s, cooks in Italy and Spain prepared tomatoes in sauces very similar to the ones made by the Aztecs. In those days, American peppers, both the sweet and hot varieties were also ingredients in tomato recipes made in Mediterranean countries.

In many parts of Africa today, tomatoes are a familiar ingredient in spicy stews and vegetable recipes. Indian cuisine uses the tomato in curries and chutneys. Besides being the most popular garden vegetable in the USA, tomatoes have become the most commonly grown vegetable in China as well.

Considering the expense for buying the world's favorite veggie at the supermarket, it is a great idea to put up tomato sauces and stewed tomatoes for all the meals that use tomatoes as a base.

Canning Tomatoes

Canned tomatoes store best in a cool dry dark area. When preparing fruit for canning: skin and cut into quarters. Although the tomato is considered a vegetable, technically it's a fruit.

Pack tightly into small pint sized canning jars. Sprinkle each layer with some salt and a little sugar. No water is required.

Pack the fruit tightly to avoid the chance of air bubbles. Aim for a high proportion of fruit to liquid, because this liquid cannot always be used when cooking tomato preserves.

Blanch the fruit so that it can be tightly packed. Use a wooden spoon handle to position the fruit in the jar. Tomatoes are also useful in a pureed form, especially if storage space is limited.

Canning Tomato Sauce

Canning tomato sauce is an excellent idea to save money at the grocery store. The sauces make delicious toppings for spaghetti, other kinds of pasta dishes, and homemade pizza.

Frugal cooks prefer not to waste the flavorings of sauces that develop from the spiced vinegar left after a pickle has been completed.

Very little special equipment is needed for canning high acid foods. Essentials include utensils such as a large saucepan, chopping board, food processor, nylon sieve, funnel, canning jars, lids, and labels. Avoid the use of metal.

Tomato Preserves

Select ripe, full flavored tomatoes. Vinegar, onions, garlic, and spices are used for added flavor.

Tomato Sauce Recipe

This sauce is only lightly spiced so that the fresh, ripe flavor of the tomatoes is not masked.

1.Wash and chop the tomatoes and celery; leaving the skins, if preferred, until during sieving. Place in a large saucepan.

2 Cook the tomatoes slowly in its own juices or with some measured vinegar until soft. Press ingredients through a nylon sieve using the bowl of a wooden spoon. Put puree back into rinsed pan.

3. Add the spices, vinegar, and sugar. Boil, stirring frequently, until the mixture has the consistency of thick cream.

4.Pour the cooked tomato sauce into hot, sterilized jars. Allow a half inch headspace. Seal with lids. Process for 45 minutes in a boiling water bath for both pints and half pints.

5. Cool and label the tomato preserves. Store in a cool, dark cupboard.

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